Annotation

The Graphic, a London periodical owned by liberal reformer William Luson Thomas, was not an abolitionist publication per se, but it did seek to inspire action against those causes that Thomas felt demanded immediate attention, such as poverty, crime, and slavery. What we see in this image is the cargo of the liberated slave ship Dhow, a vessel captured by the authorities after the slave trade was abolished. What is striking about it is the vast number of children present in the sketch. An image like this is undoubtedly meant to open society's eyes to the increased number of children that were being imported into the Americas.